Serious update in 16 Siders kids’ case as judge issues gag order over two specific incidents

A judge in Vinton County has issued a serious gag order on the Siders case after lawyers for the family urged people to let the legal process play out.

Gary Siders Sr, Christina Siders, Gary Siders Jr, and Elizabeth Siders were all arrested earlier this month and charged with a second-degree felony of child endangerment. They’ve yet to comment on the case publicly, but their lawyers have issued a number of statements.

“I think the big thing with that is it doesn’t jive with the way that this case has been characterised in the public. When you use language like ‘feral kids’, you’re imagining people that have been isolated away from human contact,” Elizabeth Siders’ attorney, Tom Stolley, said.

“People who have never interacted with any sort of social media, with the internet, with humans outside of their own home, or even humans in general, who completely lack the ability to use language. There’s nothing to suggest that that is the case here. And in fact, we’ve seen some things to contradict that.”

Officials like Attorney General Andy Wilson and Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain have also commented on the case, but it’s sparked a little trouble.

Why was the gag order issued in the Siders case?

Vinton County Judge issues gag order in the Siders case. (case of the 16 children found in horrific living conditions) The gag order was requested by Gary Siders Jr. @WLWT
Here's a copy of the order: pic.twitter.com/v4xMETfaSe

— Karin Johnson WLWT (@karinjohnson) July 14, 2026

This week, a judge in Vinton County approved a gag order proposed by the lawyer representing dad Gary Siders Jr, Lee Roberts Jr. In it, the attorney referenced multiple statements from officials that he deemed “inflammatory”, and the judge agreed.

The order reads: “The Court finds, given the publicity thus far, that any statements made to media by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the Vinton County Prosecutor’s Office, Vinton County Clerk of Courts and the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office, and any other party related to the investigation or prosecution of the alleged crimes, including Defense Counsel, would create a reasonable likelihood of prejudicial pretrial publicity which may impact the ability to impanel an impartial jury. The Court finds the following least restrictive and reasonable constraints are necessary to avoid any potential prejudice, whether real or perceived to protect the judicial process.

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“Therefore, in the administration of justice and to protect the rights of the Defendant from prejudice during this proceeding, and interests of the State, the Court hereby prohibits all parties to this action, any attorneys and respective staff connected with this case in any manner, all court personnel and any public official from disseminating information and/or commenting; discussing; or otherwise opining on the merits, defenses, facts, or any other matters relating to this case outside of the hearings in this matter and/or pleadings to be filed in this matter.”

Specifically, the judge pointed to comments made by Attorney General Andy Wilson and Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain when the story first broke earlier in July.

“We didn’t know there were going to be 16 kids there. It’s the type of thing that we’re not used to seeing here in America. Pure evil,” the Attorney General said. “Some of these children couldn’t even speak. They looked like almost feral animals. It was terrible.”

Similarly, the sheriff claimed: “Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children. Just a disgusting scene.”

The gag order also addressed a number of concerns Tom Stolley had about the case and whether or not there could be a truly objective trial.

“When we have language like ‘pure evil,’ it is important that we combat that language with [the principle of] innocent until proven guilty,” he argued.

The new legal restriction has halted all future updates on the case, with Gary Jr’s lawyer stating that it prevents him from issuing statements. It’s unclear if the order will affect public information requests, ABC reported.

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Featured image credit: Southern Ohio Regional Jail